MotoGP – The last round rings for Rossi and Hayden –

Posted on by admin

The last round rings for Rossi and Hayden

MotoGP - The last round rings for Rossi and Hayden -

Sunday afternoon, the motorcycle world will stop spinning. Only MotoGP riders will spin around the Valencia circuit to decide who de Rossi or Hayden will be crowned the last king of the MotoGP 990 cc! Trailer…

Whatever its course and its outcome, the race which will take place on Sunday in Valence will be historic. Whether it starts with devastating strikes, ends with a superb duel between the two championship leaders, or both happen – a bit like Estoril two weeks ago -: la last 990 cc race will be remembered !

Accustomed to closing championships won hands down by Rossi since 2001, the track of Valencia is preparing this time to award the 2006 title. Separated by only eight points, Rossi and Hayden will fight for the supreme title and will be alone in the spotlight. Spanish stadium spotlights !

For this exceptional event – 14 years since the title had not been played during the last race! – 250,000 spectators are expected this weekend. The organizers of the Valencia GP also expressly ask people without tickets not to make the trip….

So don’t forget your time on Sunday: the pilots will be delighted to panic you and on your side above all, you will undoubtedly beat all your freediving records. !!!

A double or nothing…

The Repsol team has little choice: to "secure" the driver’s title, Hayden and Pedrosa must achieve the double. It’s the only option for Nicky to clinch the crown regardless of Valentino’s outcome. Being eight points behind, one win alone wouldn’t be enough for the young American to be crowned if Vale were to finish second….

Disappointed by the questionable attitude of his young teammate during the last GP (read), the Kentucky Kid now seems to rely more on "a bad weekend for Rossi". A circumstance that we do not wish him, his only way to legitimize his title being to beat the current world champion on a regular basis !

No doubt that Honda’s n ° 1 will deliver the race of his life on Sunday. "I have nothing to lose", he simply notes:"my shoulder is a little better, the clutch has finally moved on and Elias has done me a hell of a favor and given me hope !", sums up Nicky who greatly appreciates the layout of Valence and had finished second last year, 0.097 s behind Melandri … so ahead of Rossi !

For his part, Dani intends to do everything to make up for his blunder from Portugal. Pedro is not at risk of having his ears pulled by Honda, which has already shown that the RCV remains the queen of MotoGP. Led by four different riders to victory, it will remain the ultimate 990 cc, although Rossi and Capirossi have repeatedly succeeded in making the M1 and Ducati shine respectively….

As long as he doesn’t just mow down Rossi, Pedrosa – who has already won three home wins, the last two times in 250 – is obviously welcome in the fight for the podium! "I’ll do anything to help Nicky: we have a big challenge in sight but we can do it", assures little Asimo, suddenly animated by an unparalleled team spirit.

Unparalleled within the Honda Repsol team anyway, since at Camel Yamaha it has been a long time that mutual assistance is required, as demonstrated by the superb race of Edwards in Portugal (read). Protecting Rossi as much as possible from the ascent of Hayden, Pedrosa, Roberts and Elias, the Texan Tornado would like to share the honors with his Corporal this weekend !

A double would be good!

"As in Estoril, the goal is to put me at the forefront alongside Valentino and help him during the race as much as I can. Of course this time I want to be on the podium too: a Yamaha double would end the season perfectly.", already imagines Colin !

Doctor Rossi for his part is aware that he has a date with History, but above all with Hayden: "Valencia is not my favorite track and I also know Hayden is very strong here so it’s not going to be easy at all", he admits … Victorious in 2003 then in 2004, the Italian certainly remembers his 15th place on the grid last year and his delicate comeback on the podium…

But this year’s race will undoubtedly take place differently because unlike 2005, Vale still has no title! "This is my only chance", he recalls:"it’s a big pressure for everyone, but it’s great for the show‘, also underlines the seven-time world champion.

We can trust him: despite the stakes and the frenzy of the fans, the Italian has always shown panache. And it is not this weekend that the n ° 46 will deviate from its line of conduct. So he will not be content to mark Hayden in the panties. Rossi, too, may well deliver one of his best races of the year !

The hunt for third place

While last year this last event featured the fight for the "vice-championship" of the world between Hayden and Melandri, that of 2006 offers not only the battle for the title but also the "melee" for third place..

In the lead for the moment, Marco Melandri will have to make a race much faster than in Portugal. But winner on the slow and tortuous track of Valence last year, the Italian hedgehog is determined to "solve the problems encountered in Estoril"and put a grain of salt in this grand finale.

"Sunday, the race will be very important and very tense. I don’t think the title will be decided until the very last corner of the very last lap", also predicts Marco. The n ° 33 would therefore see himself as referee of the game: while retaining his third place overall, a possible podium could be decisive in the Honda camp. But he is not the only one to aim for the top 3 !

Because eight points behind him is his compatriot Capirossi on the handlebars of the Ducati GP6! While a rumor circulated about the possibility of seeing the GP7 compete in its first race, Livio Suppo simply brushes it aside: "Capirossi has the possibility of finishing third in the championship and we want to focus only on that ".

Equipped with Bridgestone, Loris had a disappointing race in the cool conditions of Estoril. But with 28 ° C and a few rare clouds expected in Valencia this Sunday – for now – the infernal trio could well come back to the fore. !

Seven points behind Capi, Pedrosa will not be outdone: condemned to perform an exemplary race, he could score some last big points and finish an extraordinary first season in style..

A new surprise ?

With almost half the number of points, five drivers are fighting for sixth place in the general classification. Elias may only appear in 10th place for the moment, the Spaniard has proven to everyone – including himself – that he can fight with the best and even beat the best! In addition to the 25 points for the victory, Toni scored some big points for the Spanish fans who will support him and expect a lot from him. !

But sixth place is currently occupied by Kenny Roberts Jr.: the American, who competed in his last race in Valencia in 2003, could well appear in practice, which is essential on this track where overtaking is not easy. By hooking up the right wagon during the race, the KR Honda could still pleasantly surprise … !

Seventh at seven points behind "Junior", Casey Stoner will participate in his last race on RCV. Often a victim of his ardor this season, the young Australian will have to take precautions during the first laps if he does not want to alienate everyone by falling in the middle or rather on the others….

Perhaps more than his comrades, the rookie will have to be wary of the first turn at the end of the straight line and the first straight, which comes after almost half of the way on the left flank….

History to increase the suspense, just two points from Casey hides Colin Edwards, Rossi’s loyal lieutenant, and six points behind the Texan is John Hopkins. The Anglo-American particularly appreciates the atmosphere of the stadium and would also like to be "the one who lights the firecrackers at the end", privilege offered to pilots appearing on the podium !

Never say never … especially this year !

But we must not forget the other drivers who will be keen to make an impression before the winter break. Starting with Hopkins’ teammate: Chris Vermeulen. A great regular on the circuit thanks to the Mondial Superbike, the friendly Australian will undoubtedly give us superb glides in the last long left…

Tamada and Nakano will try to leave their respective teams on a high note. So Tamada – who will join Team Tech3 next year, it’s official – would like to hear his fans congratulate him on his "good race".

As for Nakano, he finally wishes "show how far we have come with the ZX-RR over the 16 races".

We expect no less from Carlos Checa and our national Randy de Puniet: "Sunday’s race will be long and I think consistency will be the key to getting a good result, so that’s what we’ll be working on during practice and qualifying", explains the Frenchman who knows how to shine on a lap in qualifying rubber but has yet to confirm in the race.

Whether they are fighting for third place, sixth or for honor, this whole horde of angry good guys will have to beware of one thing: to spice up the title race, not to telescope it. !

Alex Hoffman, Jose-Luis Cardoso and James Ellison will surely struggle to shine this weekend, as will Garry McCoy who will take part in his second race on the Ilmor X3. On the other hand, a last distinguished guest could upset many forecasts: Troy Bayliss !

Crowned in the World Superbike at the start of the month, the kangaroo will replace Sete Gibernau, who again suffered a clavicle injury. Troy knows the track and the team perfectly well, and he won’t be totally lost riding the GP6 after leading the GP4 to third place at the 2004 Valencia GP! The only unknown: the Bridgestones he has never used before…

The last of the der…

Troy Bayliss, who had the honor of baptizing the Ducati MotoGP in 2002 alongside test rider Guareschi, will therefore experience the race of competing in the very last race in 990 cc in the same box as Capirossi and against Rossi, his counterpart. in MotoGP.

By emerging victorious in this race, Valentino could become the sole champion of this "category", a new feat that only Hayden can still prevent. Because in addition to offering the formidable Rossi-Hayden duel, Valence represents the end of an era: that of the RC211V, M1, Ducati GP, ZX-RR and GSV-R 990 !

So prepare the traditional firecrackers to properly celebrate the 2006 world champion, but also the entire field that will have thrilled us throughout this unforgettable season and meet for the last lap by lap of J. Arsouille … this year !

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *